...we built projects that probably shouldn’t have been built,” he says. “Ten years ago, we faced market conditions that are more like what we see today. Buildings will be built when they are financeable, and there is truly a need or a special purpose use.”

Diversified companies, he adds, are finding some work, enough to keep many of their staff members employed.

“There is work there, but it is in different product types,” Di Filippo says. “If you have the relationships and that product type as a skill set, you most likely get work, but it will be cheaper.”

Di Filippo adds that more companies are bidding for the jobs moving forward, but little to none of it is private work.

A Dearth of Private Development
“No one is lending, and there is no private investment in commercial buildings,” says Steve Stallmer, vice president of Government & Public Affairs for Associated General Contractors of America New York State Chapter in Albany. “The industry is feeling the pinch. They are finishing projects and have nothing to look forward to.”

Stallmer calls it a worst-case scenario for the building industry, and he does not expect things to improve until the credit industry is fixed, people start lending and a general economic rebound occurs.

“Overall, it’s a bleak forecast,” Stallmer says. “We’re losing jobs every month.”

However, Stallmer adds, “there are some opportunities on the highway side to mitigate a decline in building projects.”

JONES

DI FILIPPO

COBELLI

Richard Lambeck, PE, clinical associate professor of construction management at the New York University Schack Institute of Real Estate, agrees private sector work has slowed. He indicates more than 600 projects have stopped due to lack of continued financing. However, he offers some bright spots in building construction, such as the World Trade Center work, the United Nations and Jacob K. Javits Convention Center expansions, and school jobs. Decreasing costs have sparked the start of projects, he adds.

“The public sector is stepping up a little, but it’s not enough to make up for the loss on the private side,” adds Ron Berger, executive director of the Subcontractors Trade Association in New York.

Berger says the current construction outlook is “not good” and thinks it might get worse before it gets better.

“Look in the architects’ and engineers’ offices; they’re doing zero,” Berger says. “That will affect our people. If they don’t design, we don’t get to build. It’s a real tough situation.”

Lou Coletti, president & chief executive officer of the Building Trades Employer’s Association in New York, also...